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Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play

The Strong’s Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play® is a multidisciplinary research repository devoted to the intellectual, social, and cultural history of play. In addition to housing the personal library and papers of its preeminent namesake, the 165,000-volume research library and archives holds a full spectrum of primary and secondary sources, including scholarly works, professional journals, other periodicals, trade catalogs, children’s books, comic books, manuscripts, personal papers, business records, and more.

Named for America’s Foremost Play Scholar

Brian Sutton-Smith (1924–2015) was one of the foremost play scholars of the last 100 years. His The Ambiguity of Play (1987) stands alongside Johann Huizinga’s Homo Ludens (1938) and Roger Caillois’s Man Play and Games (1961) as a touchstone of play theory. For more than half a century, in more than 350 books and articles, Sutton-Smith has led or synthesized all the major advances in play studies. His collected works, papers, and personal library are a key element of the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play, and they symbolize the import of its holdings.

Key Holdings

The holdings of the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play encompass a broad range of materials and play-related topics, including collections gathered and cared for through the work of The Strong’s International Center for the History of Electronic Games. The collections are especially strong in regard to the history of toys, dolls, video games, other electronic games, board games, and puzzles. Also included are significant holdings reflecting the work of leading American scholars and educators in the fields of play and early childhood education.

Access to the Collections

Scholars, students, collectors, and other researchers are welcome to conduct research on site. In order for library and archives staff to optimize collections access, please request an appointment. Appointments may be requested online, by phone at 585-410-6349, or by sending an email to library@museumofplay.org. Please provide a topic of research and indicate the materials desired and any special needs.

Library and Archives Hours

Monday–Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The online catalog of the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play provides a window into its vast collection of books and trade publications. The Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play is a non-circulating research center, but some materials are available through interlibrary loan. Trade catalogs, documents, and other items that are irreplaceable, rare, or fragile are not available for loan.

Research Fellowships

To promote and advance play scholarship, The Strong invites academic professionals, independent scholars, museum scholars, and advanced graduate students at the Masters or PhD level to apply for research fellowships available through the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play. Fellowships provide financial support for scholarly play research conducted on site at The Strong in Rochester, New York, for periods of study ranging from one week to three months.

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On the museum's Tumblr page, staff of The Strong's Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play highlight a selection of key holdings including publications, archival records, and other ephemera that illuminate the intellectual, social, and cultural history of play.

Donate to the Collections

The Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play is actively seeking and acquiring a broad range of play-related materials. Of primary interest are the records of toy and game (including video and other electronic games) designers, inventors, and companies; marketing, advertising, and other promotional and informational materials about toys and games; trade publications of the toy and game industries; personal and professional papers and publications of play scholars; primary and secondary publications that document the history of play; and published and unpublished works written by historians and dedicated collectors of toys, games, and other artifacts of play.

The Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play encourages queries from individuals and organizations that have important play-related documents, periodicals, books, and other materials that merit a permanent home where they can help inform future generations. Please email library@museumofplay.org or call 585-410-6349.